Between love and war
by gov the scoffer
Summary: Armin is taken by the female titan during her attack, this is their story, one of love, and friendship, and betrayal, set against the battle of humanity against the titans...
1. Chapter 1

Armin couldn't turn his horse, couldn't control what happened, couldn't even find his voice to scream when the female titan's hand hit him. The impact was so brutal, his bones crumbled under the force of it, blood ran from his hairline into his eyes, staining the world red. The ground was solid, and he hit it going at least 30 miles an hour, bouncing helplessly on the dirt and stone, he choked out a sound, something between a gasp and a yell, before coming to a stop facedown on his stomach, winded and gasping for breath. Stunned, terrified, his mind flashing through a million different outcomes, she was after Eren, she was after his best friend, his big brother, she would hurt him, kill him, who knew what her endgame was. Trembling he tried to lift himself up but found that he was too weak, the pain in his chest and in his leg spoke of injuries that would prove fatal out here, he fell back, eyes flooding, he was going to die, they were all going to die... They couldn't win against humans, always they had been the most dangerous enemy, titans were mindless, hunger driven beasts, they were not cruel or calculating or intelligent, they were animals. Now, everything was different, now, it was hopeless.

Dimly he became aware of something moving above him, a shadow blocked the sun, darkness.

He turned his head, eyes widened, he opened his mouth, to speak, to cry for help, to pray, he didn't even know. This was so much worse, worse than being nearly swallowed by the titan, worse than seeing Eren eaten, worse than anything he could have imagined, when his eyes met those of the female titan as she leaned down to peer at him from beneath her blood soaked hair, he knew who it was.

His breath was a word.

"Annie..."

Betrayal, bitter, bitter pain and sadness, tears washed tracks of white through the blood around his eyes, he sobbed once, tried to get control, gasped and choked, now he could taste his death at the hand of one he had trusted, of one he had cared for, of one he had... Loved...

She reached for him, picked up his shaking, broken body, he never closed his eyes, he wanted to watch her as she killed him, wanted her to know he knew, and to have her watch as death darkened his eyes.

He waited for her to end it, waited for her to crush him in her palm, from far away he could hear Jean and Riener call out his name, they couldn't save him, no one could save him.

Annie stared down at him, her mouth half open to show sharp pointed teeth, more tears fell from his eyes as he lay there, helpless and hopeless, for a moment all was still.

She moved, her hand closed over him, and he cried out as the motion hurt him, but to his shock and horror, her hold was gentle and protective, she didn't crush him, she didn't kill him, he felt the sway of her body as she ran, and the last thought that he had before he lost the fight to stay awake, was that Annie couldn't go after Eren with him in tow, and that for now at least, his friend was safe even if he wasn't...


	2. Chapter 2

She hadn't planned on meeting him here, assuming that because of his frailty and strategic value he wouldn't have been on this mission, that the generals would keep him safe behind the walls. She was wrong. This was not supposed to happen, it was Eren she was after, not Armin, he served no purpose to their cause, no benefit to them by being alive, yet she still lingered, still she moved to where he lay, stunned and shattered on the ground, his blood running down his face, when his eyes met hers she knew that he recognized her, a fact that was confirmed a moment later when he spoke her name.

"Annie..."

Hurt, betrayal, an endless silent plea for answers to the question she had asked herself countless times before, "Why? Why was she doing this? Why didn't she just stop? Why did she pretend to be their friend? Why did she hurt him?

"Why?"

The word hissed from her mouth like steam as she ran, in her hand she cradled Armin, the sweet, innocent boy that had loved her, hesitantly, quietly, shy and gentle, intelligent and truthful. She had returned his honesty with lies, his love with hurt, and pain, and death. Why didn't she kill him now? Why did she wait? Riener and Bertholdt would be here soon, to regroup, to plan, to ask her why the plan failed, and why she had kept the weak little thing in her hand alive.

She had killed thousands, why did she hesitate now?

She made it to the tree line, the scouts had not made it this far in yet, and neither had the titans. She had time, precious seconds and minutes, maybe an hour, to make her peace with what she had to do. To come to terms with the death of Armin at her hand, the death of her only true friend, the murder of an innocent just one more in this endless madness. The world was too cruel for him to live in, she was doing him a mercy really. He would never make it through this, and maybe this way it was better, if a friend ended it instead of an enemy. It would be quick.

Slowing to a stop the female titan lifted her hand up to her chest and opened her palm.

The blond boy lay curled, his head resting half turned away, eyes closed and glistening with blood and drying tears, his breathing was swift, short gasps of pain, his clothing was torn and dirty, ragged and stained, one leg was obviously broken, and from the way his chest dented in on one side, so were a few of his ribs. She looked at him silently, cocking her head this way and that, reaching down she brushed the hair away from his face.

She should do it now, while he slept, before he could even feel it it would be over.

She took a breathe, gathering her will and strength, swallowing her regret and closing her eyes so that she wouldn't see the wreck of the boy she had known when she was finished.

She was a split second away from doing it, when he moved.

It was hardly anything, but the skinless muscle of her palm felt it, she froze, watching with dread as he stirred and finally opened his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

He was in pain.

It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, he felt stiff and swollen and sore, something was wrong inside him, he could taste it on his tongue, a sound came from his throat, something he would have been ashamed of before but couldn't care about now. Everything was a blur, but he knew one thing, Annie had done this to him, she had killed him, it was her. More tears fell when he opened his eyes and beheld her hideous and beautiful face above him, the face of a monster, the face of the girl he had loved. He could do no more than look up and cry, his eyes saying the things he couldn't.

She leaned down closer and he smelled the fetid death on her body, the blood of his friends and allies drying and scorching against the skinless face, the blue eyes watching him were the only thing that gave it away, Annie's human face flashed behind his eyes and he choked on the memory, swallowing the blood that crawled up his throat and coated his mouth. A small stream of it ran out from his teeth and down his chin.

Her brow knit, and he shook with fear when she raised her finger to wipe the evidence of his death from his face. The blood smeared and came away on the white bone. Water came to her eyes as she looked at it.

"Why?"

His voice was barely anything more than a whisper, quavering and questioning, why did she do this to him? Why did she want to hurt him? Why did she kill everyone he loved? Why did he love her?

He quaked and trembled, his body arched a little against death so steadily creeping. Fear for his friends, for his end, for the world, for his powerlessness to stop it. He couldn't talk or think his way out of this one, it was over. Over in a way he could never have imagined. He was going to die by the hand of the one person he thought he could trust besides his childhood friends Eren and Mikasa. He had never let anyone else behind the walls surrounding his heart. He had let her in, and she killed him for it.

"Annie... Annie... Why? Why Annie? Why?"

The words were so hard, more blood ran down his chin, more tears, he was a mess, a filthy dying mess, weak and pathetic as always, his heart was broken, soon it wouldn't beat at all...

He looked up at her again when he felt her finger stroke his forehead, ruffling the dull, sweat drenched strands of his hair, pain once again hit and he let out a fading cry, one that she returned, a deep agonized rumble of fear and anguish and helplessness. She held him closer, wet warm tears ran down and mingled with the pool of his blood, even as he tried to hate her for it he couldn't, even as he gasped for breath and struggled in her hand he couldn't help but feel sadness and loss and love, he didn't understand, couldn't understand, what was so important to her that she would do this? Was Eren next? Was the whole world next?

"I... I- Loved-... Annie- I Loved you... I loved you..."

The female Titan brought her mouth to him, her lips were gentle, his first kiss happened while he lay dying in his murderer's hand.

Things were growing more dim, and he didn't have the strength to fight it, he blinked up at her, slowly, sleep, he needed sleep, his body grew still and stopped shaking. He looked into her eyes even though he couldn't see her anymore.

"Please... Please don't... Don't hurt them... Don't kill them... Please..."

He felt something brush his hair back, he felt himself being lifted into human arms that held him close, his head fell against a beating heart, alive and fierce, someone was rocking him, crying over him.

"Don't... Don't kill Eren… Please... Not my friends... Not... Mikasa... They... Are... All... I... Have... Left... Please... If... You ever cared at all... If- If anything you felt was true... Don't- don't hurt-"

His words strangled in his throat and a desperate hopeless sound died in the still air. The person holding him leaned back and petted the chill skin of his face, one of the few things he could still feel beside the agony of his body collapsing.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry Armin... I didn't mean for this- I didn't-"

He clutched at her shirt, his last strength, he forced himself to fight for one second longer, he could hear her crying.

"P-p-promise me! Promise me you- you- won't-"

"I can't Armin- I just can't-"

"L-l-look what you- look at- don't- please- let them- live-... You... Can't... Please..."

She shook her head, even as his fell back, the last stutterings of his heart slowing down...

"Annie..."

His voice was quiet.

"I can see it Annie, I see the ocean..."


End file.
